WHat to upgrade for 3d rendering computer

[Wetzelman1]

I'm an architecture and design student so nowadays my computing needs have taken a big shift. I used to be a huge gamer but I I don't have the time or means for computer games anymore. I now need a computer that is up to the task of handling the 3d rendering I do for my work. I'm also on a college budget so spending as little as possible to get the most increase is what I'm looking for. Here is my current rig.

AMD athlon 2500 mobile
Socket A motherboard (forget the brand, nf7 died, bought this one quickly)
1.5 gigs RAM
ATI 9600

My computer was a decent computer 5 years ago but it doesn't really cut it anymore. The problem is the money. I really should upgrade everything. But buying a new mobo means buying a new cpu and video card and new RAM. Buying a new cpu means buying a new mobo and ram and vid card too. I could buy an new AGP video card but I'm not even sure if I need that or if it would even be worth it to spend money on AGP.

What would be the most important thing to upgrade for a 3d rendering computer not a gaming system?

 

[ribbon13]

Rendering machines usually need decent CPU power, preferably 2-4 CPUs, for the actual compilation of animation, in addition to a decent professional 3D accelerator so panning in a scene isn't irritatingly choppy.

Doesn't your school have machines that you can work on? What kinda of assignments are you going to be doing at home?

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Your better off saving up for a new computer for 3D rendering. You could upgrade your GPU but your CPU is still a huge bottleneck for the programs you'll likely be running.

 

[Wetzelman1]

I guess that's really what I'm asking, is it even worth upgrading anything instead of one thing. My computer right now works and gets the job done, much better than the ones on campus I might add. It just starts to get choppy when say rotating a 150,000 sq ft building in sketchup. I'm not in dire need of a new system, but if their was something under $150 that I could buy to make a big improvement, I would.

 

[ribbon13]

You're pretty much at the non-upgradable platform stage. When you can afford to do so I suggest... get a nice ass LGA 775 motherboard (preparing for Core 2 duo), a cheap celeron cpu, a decent 1GB stick, and a cheap vid card. And then upgrade from there. Because all the decent pro cards are PCI-express nowadays. You very well might be able to find a used AGP rendering card though! But don't expect to take it with you for a platform upgrade